Download Evaluation Brief Second National Communication

Second National Communication: Evaluation Brief
The Second National Communication (SNC) of Sierra Leone is the continuation of previous
work done in the Initial National Communications. The project enables Sierra Leone to present
the information in a consistent, transparent and comparable as well as flexible manner, taking
into account specific national circumstances. The Enabling Activities for the Preparation of
Sierra Leone’s Second National Communications to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) project terminal evaluation found that the implementation of the
project activities were largely effective and efficient in the technical, administrative and financial
perspective. However, implementation was constraint due to the limited availability of local
climate scientists to carry out the many researches as stipulated in the project document
activities. Though there were no major changes to the activities implemented to that in the
project document; there were delays in the implementation plan due to the late start of the project
and disbursement of funds to the implementing partner (IP). The Sierra Leone’s Second National
Communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Report was submitted to the UNFCCC in November 2012 and has been posted on the UNFCCC
website.
During the duration of the project, there was no mid-term evaluation nor any formal evaluation
was conducted, however, activities were conducted to ensure proper monitoring and evaluation
was done. Quarterly narrative and financial reports were provided by the Climate Change Project
Office to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which documented project
activities and expenditures in relation to output delivery and progress towards achieving the
outcome.
The implementation of the project saw a high caliber of technical experts contributing to the
project with a strong quality works and researches. As the project dealt with climate change
which is a cross cutting issue, there were strong interplays with all key Ministries, Departments
and Agencies (MDAs) with collaboration on all activities in ensuring the project addresses the
needs of all institutions ranging from gender inclusion to combat climate change to climate
predictions to agriculture, fisheries, tourism etc. MDAs and the academia formed the steering
committee of the projects which further strengthened planning, collaboration, coordination and
decision making.
Due to the project was implemented under the National Implementation Modality (NIM), the
relationship between the IP and the UNDP was excellent. There were constant discussions
between the UNDP and the Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Sierra Leone’s Second
National Communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) project coordinator in adapting to novel ways in ensuring the project is not only able
to meet its outcome, but capturing the recommendations of MDAs and other emerging concepts.
The Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Sierra Leone’s Second National Communications
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) project covered
the length and breathe of Sierra Leone with active and enthusiastic involvement of communities’
participation in the project activities. The communities helped in shaping the outreach
component of the project with vital contributions to the endogenous researches and communities
inclusion to the findings. There was also the use of both the print and electronics with respect to
information dissemination to the wider public.
The Terminal Evaluation found out that there is the strong probability for the sustainability of
project outputs and proposed activities to the government in mitigating and adapting to the
impacts of climate change even after the project has been completed. This is so because there is a
strong commitment on the part of the government to integrated the climate change agenda as the
National Secretariat for Climate Change has been established to follow up on the outputs of the
Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Sierra Leone’s Second National Communications to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) project. The Agenda
for Prosperity which is been worked on showed strong lining to integrating climate smart
technologies to development plans thereby creating a conducive sociopolitical environment is
supportive.
Financial resources to further pursue the Climate Change agenda will be available, and in fact the
country has been to gain funding to conduct the Third National Communications.
1.5 Lessons learnt
The lessons learnt from the implementation of the project which can be used to better shape
future project are as follow;
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Project implementation can benefit significantly from external support provided by
specialised agencies and the academia which can be used by the project team to achieve
project outputs and goals as well as overcoming technical and other bureaucratic
bottlenecks.
There should be a common institutional procedure in the implementation of a NIM
project for the ease of procurement, payments, review of activities and financial reports
etc.
A strong collaboration and cooperation between and among MDAs, academia and local
authorities especially if they form part of the steering committee can facilitate better
planning and decision-making at all level thereby improving collective responsibility and
successful implementation of projects outputs.
Though the project focuses on climate science; the targets in its education activities
should be characterize with messages on the “realities” of the economic and social
implications of climate change to their lives and livelihoods. This will increase public
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appetite for the science and increase knowledge and buy-in on mitigation and adaption
programmes of actions.
Due to the limited number of qualified technical personnel to undertake the various
researches outlined in the obligations of the convention; more efforts should be put in
collaboration with the universities to hand pick brilliant students who can trained and
become a useful tool/researcher in the future.